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Black Caribbean parents often immigrate in order to increase their fortune and improve opportunities for themselves and their families. Frequently, they leave their children in their country of origin to be raised by family members. Reunification with their children often occurs at the time of adolescence and, for a multitude of reasons, is often fraught with conflict which sometimes necessitates the involvement of social services and other agencies. This article tries to assist clinicians in better understanding the difficulties faced by Caribbean immigrants and their reunited children and to appreciate some of the intricacies of West Indian family structure and the adaptation of these migrants to Canada. Some reasons for these difficulties are presented and are illustrated through the use of case histories. Mental health professionals are advised to take societal and cultural factors into consideration when creating treatment plans for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)